Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: The Crown Championship
by SkyDragonKing
Summary: The time has come to crown a new champion for the next generation. An important tournament brings old friends and new enemies together as they face off to fight for the future of Duel Monsters. R&R feedback wanted and appreciated (Ignore the title in the 1st chapter, it was an old running title.) Some original YGO characters appear alongside GX favs
1. Chapter 1

Title: The New King of Games

Author: Sky Dragon Slayer

Genre: Adventure

Rating: T

Summary: The time has come to crown a new champion. An important tournament brings old friends and new enemies together as they face off to fight for the future of Duel Monsters.

* * *

"Now are you sure this is what you want to do?" the question came over the phone as Alexis looked out the window, listening on the other end.

"Yes dad." She replied with a sigh. This was probably the thousandth time Alexis answered that question to her exaggeration. A waiter approached her and took away her plate of unfinished food from the table.

"But taking a semester off from college isn't easy Alexis…" Her father began to lecture her again. Pinching her nose on the other side of the line, Alexis sighed again.

"I know, I know dad but…I just feel like things are moving too fast. I need to take a step back and…!" She declared to her father, and rather hesitant at that; her voice even sounded strained, and her father could sense it.

"Alright dear, you don't have to explain." Alexis heard him say in the middle of her statement. Walking down a corridor Alexis continued to hold her cell phone to her ear.

"So what do you plan to do now, Alexis?" Her father asked another question. That's how conversations with him went; they went more like a police interrogation of a criminal rather than a talk between parent and child. Taking another sigh, Alexis answered.

"I figured Atticus would've told you by now but I'm gonna stay with him in his apartment." She explained, turning into a small room and closing the door behind her.

"You know I'm still surprised at your brother for taking that position with Kaiba Corp, given his…showmanship…" Her father tried finding a word to describe her brother Atticus. Alexis actually cracked a smile at her father's comment.

"He's just like your mother I swear." She heard him say, still with a small smile on her face.

"Alright, I have to go now. Take care Alexis."

"Yeah, bye dad." She said softly before she hung up. Putting her phone away, Alexis looked out the window of her cabin. She was currently on a train, and looking out at the window she saw the famous Kaiba Corp. tower looming in the distance. Alexis was drawing closer to her destination, Domino City.

The train stopped at the Domino Train Station, and Alexis was making her way out. Bags in hand, and one wheeling in tote behind her, Alexis pulled her way through the crowded station. Almost at the exit, Alexis could see the light coming from the sunlight outside, but before she could make it out she bumped into a passerby.

"Oh, sorry." She and the stranger said in unison, but when Alexis turned around to see who she bumped into, no one was there. No one but a Duel Monsters card strange enough, and Alexis went to go pick it up.

"Secutor…?" She asked herself as she looked down at the card in her hand. A low level effect monster card, it seemed familiar to her somehow but Alexis couldn't place her finger on where she heard of it.

Looking up from the card, Alexis decided it was pointless to chase down the person who dropped it and just put the card in her pocket. Turning around, Alexis made her way for the exit and finally walked outside.

Standing there was Atticus, dressed in a dark purple jacket with black lining, dark jeans, and black shoes. Atticus leaned up against his car, which happened to be a sheik black coupe, as he waited for his little sister.

It should be said that Alexis wasn't his 'little' sister anymore. She's in college already; is what Atticus usually said to himself when he thought of her. It just made him feel older, being the elder sibling, as well as more mature and grown-up; but that's what happened with his little Sissy, she grew up and grew into a beautiful, strong and independent young woman.

The automatic doors slid open, catching Atticus' attention before his sister stepped out. Her hair in a more relaxed style than it was back at the academy, flowed behind her as she walked. Wearing a white and blue vest with a form fitting midriff black shirt underneath, and a dark blue skirt covering a pair of black leggings that reached her mid calves, along with low ridge sneakers, Alexis made her way towards her brother.

"There you are Lexi!" Atticus almost cheered as he pulled his younger sister in for a hug. Alexis hugged him back, but Atticus spotted the sad look on her face.

"Something wrong, sis?" He asked, looking into her eyes, both hands on her shoulders to get her attention.

"Hm, oh nothing, I- I just got off the phone with dad and…" She lied. A lot was on Alexis' mind but she wasn't an open book. Atticus' baby sister was good at fibbing and successfully used her latest sham on him.

"Oh tell me about it! It's like good cop bad cop with him; at least when I talk to him…" He said as he took the tote bag from Alexis' grasp and tossed it in the trunk of his car.

"Well don't let it get you down sis; wouldn't want your somber mood to ruin your first night in the city." Atticus smiled at her as he opened the passenger door for her. Her brother was always the charmer, and managed to pull a smile out of Alexis.

"Right." She smiled and nodded at Atticus while he opened the door on his side of the car.

"Now come on let's go!" He cheered as he hoped in the driver seat before Alexis climbed in the car. With a rev of the engine, Atticus drove off.

* * *

_Ring-ring, ring-ring._

The intercom sitting on the desk rang and beeped, begging for attention. It seemed as though the intercom had been going off all day, and the person whom that device belonged, was growing ever more annoyed.

The man was busy; cramped in his office all day, arranging meetings and negotiating contracts with associates drained all of his patience. Angrily the man pushed the button on the intercom and answered.

"What is it?!" he shouted impatiently. Whoever was trying to contact him had better have had a good reason!

"Seto..!" A very familiar voice came from the other end. The man named Seto sighed and relaxed himself a little bit.

"What is it Mokuba?" He asked through another sigh as he plopped into his extravagant office chair; more like a throne in other's opinions.

"Hey bro, sorry to interrupt you but…how do I put this…you have a guest." Seto's brother said. A little confused and upset, Seto replied.

"Whoever it is, tell them to go home. I'm too busy to…" Seto began to say until Mokuba cut in.

"He's already on his way up…sorry, but he just had to see you." Mokuba said apologetically. Seto rubbed his tired eyes and dropped a hand hard on the table.

"Fine I'll wait for…whoever this jerk is." Seto said before he cut the connection off. Turning his chair around, Seto gazed at the rest of Domino City from his office in the Kaiba Corp tower, overlooking most of the city. He could even see the trains coming in and out of the city from miles away as the sunset in the distance.

Before he knew it, Seto heard two quick knocks on his door and the knob turning. He could hear the door open and his guest step in.

"So much for the VIP treatment." A deep calm voice reached Seto's ears. He shot around in his chair and saw his guest. Anyone who was anyone knew who this guy was; a bit on the short side and his face hidden by the dark lighting in the office, the ends of his blonde and violet spiked hair could be seen from across the room.

"…What are _you_ doing here?" Seto asked, staring intently at his guest. The guest smirked as he stepped forward.

"Good to see you too, Kaiba." The guest remarked sarcastically. "It's been a while."

"Answer my question." Seto demanded.

"Oh sure I'll take a seat, thanks." His guest sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. Seto was impatient as could be at the moment.

"I'm not going to ask you again." Kaiba declared. The guest's humorous smirk dropped slowly.

"I think you know why Kaiba." The guest said. Seto got up from his chair and faced the window, his back to his guest.

"To be honest, I hoped that rumor was a lie. So, are you really going to walk away?"

"From that title yes, I think it's about time that someone else got the chance to achieve that dream."

"You really are amazing you know that? The entire dueling world at your feet and you're giving it up. You do know how many people would kill to be in your position, right?"

"I'm aware, but I think I made some good choices." The guest said rubbing the ring on his left hand. "Don't you think it's about time that _you_ settle down Kaiba?" he asked Seto.

"Please, I have an empire to run." Seto smirked, looking over his shoulder at his guest.

"Hmph, well, I'll see you around Kaiba." The guest rose from his seat, but before he turned a paper on Seto's desk caught his attention. He looked at it for a second before he decided to snatch it really quick while Seto's back was turned and began to leave.

"Hey!" Seto called out to the guest as the latter had one foot out the door. The guest stopped to listen.

"Just because you're not going to compete anymore, don't think our little squabble is over." Seto made the vow of assurance to his guest who just looked at him for a few seconds before smiling as he gave Seto a thumbs up.

With his guest gone Seto returned to his work but his annoying intercom rang again.

"What?" He snapped.

"Sir Mr. Pegasus is on the line." An assistant said on the intercom. Seto let out another sigh.

"All right put him on. Let's get this over with."

* * *

Atticus had dropped Alexis off at his apartment but he didn't stick around. He told her that he had to go and help his boss with a project that he strangely refused to discuss with her, but gave her the spare key and drove off.

Alexis didn't know why her brother was so quiet about his work. Working public relations for one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world sounds like something her big mouth brother would go off about, but it wasn't, at least for now.

That matter was left aside for now as Alexis was in the middle of unpacking her things. The few bags she had were awfully deceptive as the mountains of clothes proved it. Thank goodness for those space saver bags she saw on TV.

With her hair in a ponytail and messy clothes on, Alexis stored her clothes away in the spare room her brother offered her. She was somewhat done and decided to take a break by browsing the internet on her laptop. Normally used for school, Alexis looked up everything she possibly could have until a new window popped up on her screen.

The window was a loading screen and soon enough Alexis found that someone was trying to video message her. Thinking about it for a second, Alexis answered the call and found her friend Jasmine on the other end.

"Hey Lexi! Heard you just got in town." Her friend greeted her through their live video chat. Alexis raised a very curious eyebrow at her friend.

"Yeah I did, but how did you know that? The only other people I spoke to today were my dad and…"

"Atticus kind of told me, he-he…." Jasmine admitted, scratching the back of her head.

_I'm gonna have a real talk with that brother of mine…! _Alexis thought to herself, but she shook it off and returned to her conversation.

"Whatevs…what's going on; anything interesting?" She asked her friend who looked too eager to respond had an ear-to-ear smile on her face.

"Actually, Mindy and I were gonna go out to this new place in the city plaza. There's always room for one more!"

"I don't know I'm still getting settled down over here…" Alexis said, looking at the mess of a room she was in.

"Oh come on Alexis; there'll be cute guys there…" Jasmine pleaded. It had been several months since they'd seen each other and it was time for a reunion.

"All right you got me." Alexis said through a sigh. Seeing her two besties again was worth taking the night off from unpacking her luggage any day.

"Yes! Okay just meet us in front of your building in an hour, bye!" Jasmine said before signing out quickly. Alexis sat at the desk with her laptop in front of her when it hit her.

"How does she know where Atticus lives…I'm_ definitely_ gonna have a talk with that brother of mine..."

* * *

It wasn't long before the time came as Alexis left with her two best friends from Duel Academy, clad in the same wardrobe as she was in when she arrived in Domino City; she made her way for the Domino City Plaza.

"Hey I really like what you've done with your hair!" Mindy said as the trio of herself, Jasmine and Alexis approached the plaza.

"Hm…oh thanks Mindy." Alexis said rather distracted.

"Something wrong Alexis? You've been, I don't know, occupied for the past couple of blocks." Jasmine observed as the three lovely ladies stopped their pace. Alexis took a look around the area before she spoke.

"Well, I don't know if you guys noticed but…" She said as her eyes continued to roam around, but Jasmine was growing impatient

"But what?" the redhead asked rather loudly.

"Yeah come on tell us!" Mindy joined in. Alexis ceased her browsing and brought her gaze back to her two friends.

"Did you notice all of the media people here, the place is crawling with news vans and reporters." Alexis pointed out. The other two took a minute to survey the area and spotted the small hoard of vans and growing mob of cameramen and field reporters.

"Oh, you know I didn't even see any of this…" Mindy held her chin as she looked around a few more times.

"That's typical." Jasmine crossed her arms and held her snoody nose up.

"Hey!" Mindy protested.

"I wonder what's going on over here…" Alexis muttered, but not too quietly as Jasmine heard what she said.

"Oh who knows; now let's go I'm starving!" Jasmine shouted, pulling the arms of both her friends as they trudged along.

Afterwards, the girls sat outside a popular new café at the far end of the plaza. Alexis was able to see the fountain in the plaza center, from where she was sitting. Mindy and Jasmine sat across from her as their waiter approached.

"Your entrées ladies…!" He said as he placed their meals in front of them one-by-one.

"Thank you so much." Jasmine said, fluttering her eyes at him. As the waiter put the last plat in front of her, he turned to face her.

"Don't mention it." He smirked with a wink before returning to work. Mindy and Jasmine watched the waiter walk away but Alexis simply rolled her eyes at the other two, a small smile breaking through her straight face.

"What'd I tell ya Lex; the guys are all over this place." Jasmine said, still watching the waiter leave.

"Uh-huh…" Alexis replied. Something in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she stared intently.

"What's bothering you _now_?" Mindy asked as she noticed Alexis' diverted gaze. Looking out onto the slowly growing crowd of people, Alexis' eyes followed where they were directed and found a stage set up at the end of the plaza where she found a surprise.

"Is that…Atticus…?" She said, squinting her eyes. Mindy and Jasmine's heads spun around so fast their necks almost snapped.

"Where?!" They both said in unison. Alexis really needed to have a talk with her brother now, but for now she shook off her friends' reaction.

"Over there, by that stage behind the fountain." She pointed in the direction of where she spotted Atticus and her friends looked on.

"That_ is_ him Lex!" Mindy said as she peered into the crowd.

"And here I thought he had work. Blow me off, I'll show him!" Alexis got up from her seat and marched, her two friends keeping close quarter; in all honesty, they just wanted to see Atticus.

* * *

"Yes sir, you got it." Atticus said through his headset as he walked around the stage area with clipboard in hand.

"You sure seem busy!" Atticus cringed when he heard someone shout behind him. He turned and found Alexis standing behind him, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. Boy she wasn't happy.

"Huh…Lexi…? What are _you_ doing here?" Atticus asked with his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Hi Atticus!" Mindy and Jasmine greeted him as they caught up with Alexis. Both girls waved and winked at him. Atticus gave a slight wave and a toothy grin in response. Alexis shook that exchange off quickly.

"I can ask you the same. It must be more important than helping your sister…" She hollered, hands on her hips. Just then a newcomer approached. A guy of average height with long black hair and grey eyes walked up to the little gathering that was occurring.

"Atticus, what's going on?" The guy said rather assertively as he crossed his arms. Atticus jumped again.

"Ah…n-nothing Mokuba sir…he-he." The younger Atticus scratched the back of his head nervously but the girls were shocked. The famous Vice President of Kaiba Corp, Mokuba Kaiba was Atticus' boss; Mokuba as in the younger brother of Kaiba Corp chairman, founder of Duel Academy and dueling legend Seto Kaiba! The girls, more specifically Mindy and Jasmine blushed when the VP looked their way.

"Who are they?" He asked his assistant, nodding his head in the girls' direction. Atticus turned his head to see Alexis and company before returning his gaze to his boss.

"Uh, the blonde's my sister, and the other two are her friends." Atticus explained. Mokuba on the other hand, looked a little perturbed.

"You didn't tell them anything with that big mouth of yours…_did_ you Atticus?" He asked. A nervous smile came across Atticus' face.

"No sir, not me." He shook his head; but now the girls were curious.

"Wait, tell us about what?" Alexis asked, walking up to her brother and his boss. Mokuba looked at her before he answered.

"The tournament of course…d'oh; you didn't hear anything!" He blabbed out. He had to stop for a second before catching his blunder before shouting at Alexis and the other girls, pointing at them.

"Yes sir!" the three ladies said in unison. Then a cell phone's ring caught everyone's attention. Mokuba reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out and answered it.

"Hello…Seto, yeah you're clear…alright, see you in a few." He spoke over the phone briefly and the others overheard him. He just spoke to Seto Kaiba! Well he was his brother after all, so it shouldn't be too surprising. Putting the phone away and adjusting his headset and the jacket of his suit, Mokuba turned and walked away.

"Atticus, come on!" He called out. Atticus cringed again. Looking back at his sister Atticus didn't look too happy.

'Sorry.' Alexis mouthed to him before he ran off to catch up to his boss. She and her friends almost got him in trouble with the VP of Kaiba Corp. Alexis watched her brother go with some concern and hoped she didn't get Atticus in hot water.

"Well that certainly was something." Jasmine said as Alexis walked back to join her and Mindy.

"That Mokuba sure was dreamy…!" Mindy chimed. The other two rolled their eyes.

"You always say that!" Jasmine said getting a pout from Mindy, while Alexis looked around some more.

"A tournament huh?" She asked aloud but to no one in particular.

"You think that's why it's so crowded here?" Mindy asked.

"What was your first clue?" Alexis and Jasmine said in unison just before the stage in the distance lit up. It drew the attention of everyone in the plaza. The girls turned and found Mokuba, center stage and the lights on him.

"What is up, Domino City!" He shouted through his headset, full of energy. Mokuba received a generous applause and some camera flashes.

"As you may or may not know, I am Mokuba Kaiba, VP of Kaiba Corp and tonight, it is my pleasure to announce to you all the induction of the Duel Monsters Crown Championship Tournament!" The crowd that had built up significantly since Alexis walked over, erupted with applause and camera flashes. Mokuba continued.

"Or the Crown Championship for short, this tournament will prove who is the best and the champion of the next generation!" Once again, applause and flashes followed like it was routine.

Mokuba was about to start speaking again but a strong gust of wind stopped him.

"Ah, just in time. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce you all to the two main contributors and hosts of the Crown Championship; Maximillion Pegasus, and my brother Seto Kaiba!" He said as a helicopter rounded the plaza and soon landed behind the stage. It took a minute, but out jumped Seto and Pegasus, and they received a thunderous applause as they took the stage.

"Thank you thank you, of course you're all excited to see _me_!" Pegasus gloated as he basked in the applause. Kaiba on the other hand, wanted to get down to business.

"All right duelists, listen up!" Kaiba said; the crowd became silent as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Always so pushy Kaiba-boy." Pegasus said away from his mic so no one would hear.

"The Crown Championship, just like Battle City, will be held within Domino City limits, making every square foot you walk across a battle field! However, despite the range of this tournament, only those who receive a formal invite from Pegasus and myself are allowed to compete." Kaiba continued. Pegasus looked out onto the crowd until he spotted a particular someone.

_Hmm, excellent, he's here, just like I thought he'd be. _The Duel monsters creator thought to himself.

"Those who are invited will receive a special package in the mail, containing a special code for a software update to your duel disk. Should you not own a duel disk at the time, there is a voucher for you to pick one up at your nearest Kaiba Shop." Kaiba explained, but now it was time for Pegasus to step in.

"Along with the software update, duelists will also receive one of these." He said holding up what looked like a fragmented piece of golden jewelry that was very sleek and shiny.

"It's called a crown piece. There are five different types of crown pieces that you must win from other duelists. Also, if someone has the same crown piece or pieces as you, you are not permitted to duel him or her. In addition you may not duel the same person on more than one occasion, even if they have crown pieces you need." Pegasus elaborated some of the tournament rules.

"Furthermore, once all five pieces are obtained you must place them in the card zones on your duel disk to activate the new software. We have made it so that only sixteen duelists will advance to the next round." Kaiba spoke up, building on what Pegasus had said. "Any rules regarding the duels themselves will be given out once your invitations arrive."

"And it should also be said that, every duel in the tournament will be televised and aired on the all new Dueling Network powered by Industrial Illusions." Pegasus decided to throw in.

"The competition begins in two weeks; don't miss it." Kaiba declared as he scanned the crowd. He smirked before he exited the stage with Pegasus and boarded the helicopter they arrived on. The crowd cheered some more before they began to disperse.

During all of this, Alexis was sort of separated from Mindy and Jasmine as the crowd grew and moved around. She stood be the fountain in the middle of the plaza to avoid being swooped up by the mass of people.

"This sounds like the real deal." She muttered as she looked up to watch Kaiba's helicopter flyover. Someone behind her had heard what Alexis said.

"Yeah, I just hope I get invited; I haven't gotten my game on since…I don't know when!" A familiar voice made Alexis' eyes widen and she snapped her head around.

"Huh?" She said as she looked back. All she found was someone standing on the ledge of the fountain. This person or guy really, was wearing a dark grey t-shirt under an open red vest, with dark jeans and black sneakers. His face was hidden in shadow, caused by the light coming from the helicopter, but once it left Alexis was able to see the brown hair and eyes and the helmet he was holding under his arm.

"J-Jaden!" She called in excitement. She couldn't believe it! It had been so long since she's seen him. He hopped down from the ledge of the fountain and landed in front of her. Alexis could see that she was still a couple of inches taller than him, but he was a little more built than she remembered him.

"Yeah that's me! But how did…wait, Alexis…?!" He said, not recognizing Alexis at first. Once he did however, he was little overwhelmed to see his friend.

"Yeah Jaden…! How've you been? It's been so long!" She got caught up in the moment and gave him a quick hug, but realized what she was doing and retreated before he had a chance to return the favor.

"Yeah tell me about it, I almost didn't recognize you with your new hairdo. It looks good on ya!" He scratched the back of his head and gave her the smile she hadn't seen in two years.

"Oh…t-thanks Jay." She said, fighting off a blush while pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"So what brings you to Domino Lex? Bet it wasn't this tournament." He asked looking around at the crazed setting the plaza was in.

"No, actually I'm staying with Atticus; he lives around here now." Alexis explained.

"Well that must be pretty sweet!" Jaden added. Alexis' attention however was directed slightly at her brother who she caught in the corner of her eye with a small huddle of girls around him, including Mindy and Jasmine.

"Sure is…" She said dryly. Jaden couldn't resist the urge to let out a little laughter.

"Well I…" Jaden began but stopped all of a sudden and became a little surprised, like someone had just told him something. "It's that time already?!" He suddenly shouted.

"What is it?" Alexis just had to ask. Then again this was Jaden she was dealing with; so normalcy was checked at the door.

"Oh, sorry but I gotta go. I'm a little busy; I just got here earlier today." Jaden explained. What he said made Alexis think for a second. Could it have been…?

"Really? I just came here earlier today too." She said; the matter could wait till later.

"No kidding; it's a small world after all." He smiled back. That smile of his use to light up her day, and it still had a similar effect. Jaden began to turn away to make his leave.

"Yeah, well it was nice running into ya Lex!" He said waving slightly but something stopped him.

"Hey Lex, you need a ride?" She heard him call out to her. Alexis turned around and saw Jaden still standing in the plaza. She mulled it over for a second. Would she try to pry her friends away from her brother or go home and finish getting settled while spending some time with Jaden? Decisions, decisions…

"Yeah, wait up!" She shouted before she ran up to him. Jaden was happy that she decided to accept his offer; after all it's been two years since he's seen her.

"Since when did you get a car Jaden?" She asked as they walked down a side street with the former Slifer Slacker leading the way.

"A car…? No, I don't have one of those." He said, shaking his head, confusing Alexis.

"Then how did you get here?" She asked before they came to a stop.

"This…" He said as they now stood before a sleek, red motorcycle. It wasn't a Harley, but one of those Japanese speed bikes. It looked real cool, and of course it was red, slifer red to be exact.

"So who did you duel for this?" She asked with a smirk, but he just looked at her with a blank stare, missing the joke.

"No one, it's mine. I have my license and everything." He said. Alexis was a little surprised but then again, this was Jaden. But then she remembered the helmet Jaden had been holding. Jaden even held up his ID for her to see.

"But how do you have this, it looks a little expensive." She inquired. She and Jaden were both nineteen now, but still owning a vehicle like this seemed a little much.

"Oh, well my dad works for Kaiba Motor Sports, so I got a little discount. I learned how to ride this before I went to the Academy." Jaden explained as they walked up to the bike.

"Oh…" Alexis was pleasantly surprised. She looked over at the bike that even resembled the Egyptian God card; it suited Jaden perfectly, she thought, his carefree and reckless nature embodied by the bike.

"Well come on, don't wanna stand around all day!" Jaden smiled before he hoped on the bike and used his key to start the engine. The roar it created caught Alexis by surprise as she jumped back a step.

"Here you take it. I hope you don't mind a little helmet hair." Jaden said, handing the helmet over to Alexis, who looked at it and blinked.

"But shouldn't the driver be wearing the helmet?" She looked up at him and pushed the helmet back, observing Motorist safety laws.

"Yeah, but I think it's better if you wear it." He insisted, forcing the helmet in her hands.

"You sure?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I have a pair of goggles in here, that's all I really need." He said with a reassuring grin.

"Okay if you say so." Alexis shrugged. She pulled the helmet over her head and closed the visor. Jaden chuckled when he saw her with the helmet fully on through his goggle covered eyes. He hopped on the bike to get it started with Alexis sliding up behind him, wrapping her arms around him and hanging on tight.

"But if I do get a ticket, you're paying for it." He joked as he adjusted his goggle straps.

"Yeah, you wish!" Alexis retorted through a snorted laugh. Jaden laughed a little bit more before he switched the headlights on.

"Alright, let's go!" He cheered before, revving his bike up and pulling out of the alley while maintaining a pop-a-wheelie and Alexis squealing the whole way out.

They sped down the street, weaving through traffic. Jaden was as a reckless a driver as he was a duelist, but Alexis couldn't deny the excitement she felt riding along with him. The reckless expertise Jaden demonstrated as he came inches from cars driving by and the quick turns sent an adrenaline rush through her body.

"So what are _you_ doing here Jay?" Alexis asked as they were currently waiting at a red light. Keeping his eyes on the road, Jaden answered her.

"Well, I just needed a break from all the traveling I've been doing. So I'm just crashing with my folks for now." He explained. Alexis adjusted herself in her seat and fixed her grip around Jaden.

"I'm guessing you live pretty close then." She said over the rumbling of the bike's engine. Jaden took a second to look over his shoulder at her.

"Oh yeah, my parents live about twenty minutes away from the plaza we were just at. You wanna go?" Jaden invited her to his house. Jaden invited her to his house! The helmet Alexis was wearing was about as red as her face which was mostly unseen by Jaden. Alexis simply shook her head.

"Not tonight, I still have a lot of unpacking to do." She waved her hands. The red light turned green and Jaden revved his bike up.

"Hang on!" He cheered as he bolted down the street while Alexis frantically wrapped her arms around him, hanging on for dear life.

Eventually, after all the craziness Jaden put Alexis through with his little trip which was jam packed with little 'detours', they finally made it back to the apartment building where the latter was living with her older brother, whom she was determined to have serious sit-down with.

"Ok here we are!" Jaden said as he stopped the bike in front of the building. Alexis hopped off and took the helmet off her head and ran a hair through her hair.

"What do you know; no helmet hair." Jaden smiled as Alexis did the same.

"Thanks for the ride Jaden." She thanked him, handing the helmet back.

"Hey it sure beats walking." Jaden said as he took the goggles off and rested the helmet on top of his head.

"Yeah, that's for sure." Alexis agreed with him.

"All right, I gotta go. I'll see ya…" Jaden revved his bike up again, ready to leave until…

"Wait Jaden!" Alexis shouted over the engine, making Jaden quiet his bike down.

"What's up Lex?" He asked; the helmet still on top of his head.

"We haven't seen each other in two years and all you have to say is 'see ya'?" She asked and she seemed a bit upset.

"Kinda…" Jaden scratched the back of his head with a nervous smile on his face.

"Jaden!"

"I'm kidding Lex." Jaden chuckled, but Alexis was in no laughing mood.

"Well I'm not Jaden…I-I missed you." She admitted quietly. Jaden saw the concern on her face and looked down for a second.

Alexis thought she may have said too much, and almost started walking away until she saw Jaden move.

"Say what are you doing tomorrow?" He looked back up at her with a little smirk on his face.

"Well, um…nothing really." Said Alexis; other than unpacking, she really didn't have any immediate plans.

"Cool, then we can hang out. I can swing by here tomorrow morning if you want." Jaden suggested. Alexis looked at him and by the look on his face, she could tell that he was serious. She smiled and nodded.

"Sure Jaden, it's a plan!" She said happily. He smiled back at her before he pushed the helmet down on his head, wearing it correctly.

"Sweet, I'll see you then!" He said before he revved his bike up yet again and rode off. Alexis watched him ride away until she could no longer hear the engine of his bike.

"Yeah, see you Jay." She smiled softly as she walked into the building and back up to Atticus' apartment. She had a pretty big day ahead of her and she needed to be ready.

* * *

Okay the first of many chapters in this story!

Tell me what you think. Your reviews are very much wanted and appreciated.  
In the next xhapter we finally see a duel.

Pm me if you wanna know about what i have in store all though be warned, msg me at your own risk i may reveal spoilers based on your questions.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: The Crown Championship

Author: Sky Dragon Slayer

Genre: Adventure

Rating: T

Summary: The time has come to crown a new champion. An important tournament brings old friends and new enemies together as they face off to fight for the future of Duel Monsters.

* * *

She stood there on the sidewalk in front of her apartment building. She stood there feeling like a jerk. Jaden told Alexis that he'd be there to pick her up at eleven but he was over twenty minutes late.

"Same old Jaden…" Alexis trailed off. Maybe Jaden was late for a good reason, like being stuck in traffic, or maybe he was having trouble with his bike. But Alexis had her money on Jaden sleeping in like he always did back at Duel Academy…! Argh!

She waited and waited and waited some more, but patient Alexis was about to roar! How could he be late, be late for this date Jaden the great?! ( How do ya like my rhyming?)

Hold on, date? This wasn't a date, no way! At least that's what Alexis told herself. The more she tried to deny it, the more memories came to surface, more specifically the night of the Tag-Team Duel Tournament she won with Jaden by her side. Things she wanted to say that night were put aside after that, but for some reason those things had begun to swim around in her mind.

_Where the heck could he be?!_ She screamed in her head. Any longer and Alexis would retreat inside, but when her doubts were high she heard a loud roaring sound coming from down the street.

A few seconds later the sound faded and Jaden had pulled his bike up next to Alexis. Pulling up the visor on his helmet Jaden smiled.

"Sorry I'm late; I had a hard time getting out of the house." He apologized for his tardiness, but standing there with her hands on her hips and eyes narrowed, Alexis saw through him.

"You overslept didn't you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You know me too well Lex!" Jaden laughed but Alexis only shook her head.

"Here" He said. "Now I have two helmets." Taking the extra helmet, Alexis walked around the bike and hopped on behind Jaden.

"All right, where to?" Jaden asked looking over his shoulder.

"Actually, I was gonna ask you the same. I haven't been here that long to know where to go." Alexis explained. She really had only been in Domino City on a couple of occasions; one being the day of admissions before her first year at Duel Academy, and the other was during the Academy's Field Trip during her second year, granted that she wasn't entirely herself and was under the influence of The Society of Light.

"Then how did you get around last night?" Jaden asked back.

"Mindy and Jasmine were showing me around, they go to Domino University so they know the city." She informed Jaden of their two former classmates. Jaden smirked before he slid the visor down over his face.

"Well, if that's the case then you're in for it!" He throttled the engine and off they went.

* * *

The rest of the morning and afternoon went by pretty quick for the two Duel Academy alumni, but that's what happens when people are having fun. Jaden gave Alexis a tour of the city, taking her to everywhere worthwhile in the city.

As a duelist, Alexis particularly enjoyed the sites Jaden took her to that were previously shown to him by Solomon Muto, the grandfather of The King of Games. The docks, the pier, the newly finished arena, and even the plaza where they met up last night; seen in a completely different light by the Rhodes girl, now that she knew she stood in the site of The King's first Battle City duel against a Rare Hunter.

Jaden wanted to take Alexis to Kaiba Land but it was closed to the public, most likely due to the Crown Championships being but a fortnight away.

* * *

As fun as their day was, Jaden and Alexis decided to take a stroll in the park. Each holding their helmets as they walked down the tree bordered path. It was a good thing autumn was around the corner and the colored leaves proved it, making the park more pleasing to see.

"I think I had the most fun in Italy, you had to see what happened to me in Venice!" Jaden said with a certain enthusiasm as he walked side by side with Alexis.

"Well that sounds exciting; what exactly happened in Venice?" Alexis inquired.

"Trust me, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. It was a little too exciting if you ask me." He replied with a chuckle.

"Are you telling me that THE Jaden Yuki couldn't take all the flare of global trekking?" She smirked, but he smirked back.

"I could, I just missed my mom's cooking! She cooks up one mean ramen." Said Jaden.

"Aww, Jaden was homesick, how cute." Alexis mocked with an ear-to-ear grin.

"So what if I was. Nothing wrong with crashing with my folks, and they live close to the city so it's real convenient." Jaden protested against Alexis' teasing.

"Not to mention free." The former Obelisk Blue student added. Jaden looked over at Alexis curiously.

"What, Atticus makes you pay up?" He asked.

"Well he might after what happened last night." Alexis said while taking in the sight of the colorful trees as they walked.

"Why, what happened?" Jaden asked with a level of concern. He knew the Rhodes siblings usually bickered being opposites in personality; Atticus the outgoing free spirit, and Alexis being the more reserved modest one.

"I kinda got him in trouble with his boss, it didn't go so well." She answered. What she did exactly wasn't really the issue.

"Whatever it was, I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad." Jaden said looking at Alexis who was looking down. She still felt badly about what happened with her, Atticus and his boss, Mokuba Kaiba the night before.

"I guess so…" Alexis sort of mumbled. The conversation would have gone further but the two were distracted by a small crowd gathered in an open clearing to the side of the trail.

"What's going on over there?" Jaden asked no one in particular. He exchanged glances with Alexis before they decided to go over and see what was going on for themselves.

* * *

When they arrived, Jaden and Alexis saw a kid that was maybe a few years younger than them fall back on his rump.

"Aw man, I lost!" The kid whined as the duel disk on his left arm shut off after his life points hit zero. The small crowd that had gathered chattered. Jaden and Alexis walked over and helped the defeated kid up off the ground.

"Thanks." The kid thanked them as he dusted himself off.

"No problem, but can you tell us what happened here?" Alexis asked.

"You see that guy over there?" The kid pointed to the guy at the opposite end of the opening in the crowd. He had medium length black hair, a little shorter than Atticus', brown eyes, a light tan and he was a little taller than Alexis. Dressed in a black jacket with a faded red shirt underneath, ripped jeans and black sneakers, this other duelist adjusted the unique looking duel disk on his left arm.

"Well it all started when a couple of friends of mine were talking about the Crown Championship and we decided to duel each other to practice just in case if the miracle happened and one of us were invited. Then this guy comes along and showed us an invitation he received for the tournament and said that if we beat him he'd give us the invite." The kid explained.

Alexis was listening more intently than Jaden as he was busy staring down this other guy.

"I'm guessing none of you were able to beat him." Jaden hypothesized as he began walking forward.

"Yeah…huh?!" The kid said before he saw Jaden walk off.

"Wait, Jaden…!" Alexis called after him, but Jaden's mind was made up. It was time to get his game on!

"Hey you!" Jaden called at the mystery duelist who looked up from his duel disk and brought his gaze to Jaden and smirked.

"And how can I help you?" He joked, crossing his arms. Getting a closer look, Jaden could tell this guy was around his age.

"I heard you got invited to the Crown Championship." Jaden said before the mystery duelist reached into his rear pants pocket and pulled out a manila envelope.

"You mean this? If you're willing, I'll duel you for it." The guy gave him a challenge, but Jaden shook his head.

"No thanks; taking from others isn't my style, but that doesn't mean I'm not down to duel." Jaden reached into one of his vest's pockets and pulled out his deck.

"Good; I'm tired of these wanabees clamoring for this thing." The duelist said before putting the envelope away. "So are we getting this thing started or what?" He asked Jaden who nodded.

Jaden looked around until his eyes caught the kid who just lost to the mystery duelist and ran over to him.

"Hey kid, mind if I borrow your duel disk?" Jaden asked. The kid nodded and handed the disk over to Jaden.

"Jaden are you sure about this?" Alexis asked. Jaden slipped the duel disk on his arm before he looked at Alexis and smiled.

"Yeah I'm always sure about a duel. If this guy was invited to that tournament I wanna see how good he is." He said before turning to face the mystery duelist.

"Are you ready to duel, uh…?" Jaden started. "Um, hey what's your name guy?" The mystery duelist tilted his head, confused.

_What kind of duelist is this guy?_ The duelist thought to himself.

"…M-Marcus, Marcus Arrietti." The mystery duelist or rather Marcus said. "Or you can just call me Marc."

"All right, I'm Jaden Yuki, now…" Jaden introduced himself before turning his duel disk on.

"Get your game on!" Jaden said. Marc turned on his duel disk which shot out three arms that had metal flaps connecting the arms to each other, looking like the head of an axe when fully opened.

"Wow, that's some duel disk." Jaden was a little amazed at the design of Marc's duel disk.

"It's my move!" Marc skipped the formalities and dove straight into the duel. He drew from his deck and smirked.

Jaden: 4000 life points

Marcus: 4000 life points

"All right, first I place Gladiator Beast Bestiari in attack mode and set two more cards face down and end my turn." (Gladiator Beast Bestiari: Lv 4 atk1500 def 800) Marc finished his turn as two holographic images of his face down cards appeared behind his green armored bird man of a monster.

_Gladiator Beast, wait I've heard about them in school…_ Alexis thought as she watched the duel from the sidelines.

"Jaden be careful, these Gladiator cards Marcus has are very rare and very powerful." Alexis warned Jaden who only grinned in the excitement of the duel.

"My turn." Jaden said as he drew from his deck and liked what his deck gave him.

_Just be careful._ Alexis said in her head as Jaden prepared to make his move.

"Okay, first I summon my Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird!" (Hummingbird: Lv 3 atk 800 def 600) He declared before the red bird man appeared on the field. Marc looked a little confused.

"Now for his special ability; you see, once per turn I can use Airs' effect to gain 500 life points for each card in your hand." Jaden explained before three flowers bloomed from Marc's hand and Air Hummingbird fluttered over increasing Jaden's life points.

Jaden: 5500 life points

"And then I activate the spell card Fake Hero. This card allows me to summon any Hero monster from my hand, it can't attack but that doesn't matter. Now say hello to Elemental Hero Neos!" (E-hero Neos: Lv7 2500atk 2000def) Jaden summoned his signature monster as the silver space man superhero rose from its card and assumed a fighting pose on the field. Marc's expression only grew more determined.

"Now with Neos out on my field I can return him and my Air Hummingbird to the deck perform Contact Fusion!" Jaden said as his monsters disappeared. "Now I can summon Elemental Hero Air Neos!" (Air Neos: Lv7 2500 atk 2000def) "And then I play my Instant Neospace spell card which will let Air Neos stay on the field after my turn, now attack!" Jaden orederd his monster as it charged at Marc's.

Marc only grinned as Air Neos drew near. "I activate my trap, Prideful Roar! What it does is that when you attack my monster I take damage equal to the difference in our monsters attack points." Marc said as he took the damage.

Marcus: 3000 life points

"Then I get to add that difference to my Gladiator Beast Bestiari plus an additional 300 points!"

"But that would mean…?" Jaden muttered.

"My Bestiari is stronger than your Air Neos." Marc said as Air Neos was destroyed by Bestiari and Jaden lost 300 points.

Jaden: 5200 life points.

"Fine but thanks to Instant Neospace's effect I can special summon my Elemental Hero Neos from my deck!" Jaden stated before bringing Neos back to the field.

"How nice, but he won't be able to help you." Marc said defiantly.

"Huh?" Jaden stopped.

"I activate my quick spell, Gladiator Taming, switching Neos into defense mode." Marc said, flipping his last face down as Neos folded his arms and knelt down.

"All right, I set a card face down and end my turn." Jaden huffed, turning the flow of the duel over to Marc who drew the top card from his deck.

"Okay, now I play the spell card Gladiator Proving Ground which lets me add a level 4 or below Gladiator Beast monster from my deck to my hand." Marc said as he searched then shuffled his deck. "Now I summon Gladiator Beast Equeste." Then a centaur like monster appeared alongside his Bestiari.

"And then I'll shuffle both my monsters back into my deck." Marc said holding out his duel disk as both monsters jumped back into his deck.

"Wait, why would you do that?!" Jaden asked rather frantically; this move seemed rather familiar to him.

"Come on Jaden, you should know; for Contact Fusion of course!" Explained Marc as a devious grin crossed his lips.

"What?!" Both Jaden and Alexis gasped. Jaden assumed that only his Neos monsters were able to perform this form of fusion, guess he was wrong after all.

_I thought that was only a rumor I heard about in school. These cards are more dangerous than I thought. I hope Jaden can handle it._ Alexis said in her head.

"You can do it too?!" Jaden was shocked still.

"That's right! Now come out, Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!" (Gyzarus: Lv7 2400atk 2000def) Shouted Marc as a monster similar to his Bestiari rose up; clad in heavy black armor, the monster gave a screeching battle cry.

"When I bring out my Gyzarus I have to make some room, so thanks to his special ability I can destroy up to two cards on the field. So say good bye to your Neos and that face down!" Marc said before his Gyzarus shrieked again, destroying Jaden's cards with the sound waves it produced.

"Now attack, Gyzarus!" Marc commanded as his monster came soaring towards Jaden before landing a massive punch that went through the former Slifer student.

Jaden: 2800 life points.

"I should mention that if any of my Gladiator Beasts attack or are attacked and live to tell about it, I can shuffle them back from the deck of whence they came and bring out another monster, and in Gyzarus' case I can bring out two monsters. So say hello to my Gladiator Beasts Laquari, and Hoplomus." Gyzarus vanished but two other monsters took his place. A tiger man, covered in flame and a rhino man in heavy plated armor appeared on the field. (Laquari Lv4 1800 atk, Hoplomus Lv4 2100def)

"And with their special abilities, my monsters get a little power boost!" Marc explained again as his monsters points rose. (Laquari 1800 to 2100atk. Hoplomus 2100def to 2400def)

"I'll set two cards face down and I'll call it a turn." Marc placed the cards in his duel disk before turning it over to Jaden.

_Oh man, what a turn it was! He got rid of Neos and took a big chunk out of my life points. What's worse is that he brought out two more powerful monsters, AND he could do Contact Fusions. Alexis was right, these cards are dangerous._ Jaden thought as he drew from his deck and looked at his hand.

_All the more reason for you to win this duel, Jaden._ Jaden heard another voice in his head. The familiar feminine voice that lingered in him for a couple of years already took shape in his mind.

_Now you decide to show up Yubel? I could've used your help last turn, I got crushed!_ Jaden tried to chastise the duel monster spirit that lived inside of him, but she paid him no mind and looked at the duel.

_This duelist is different from others you've faced Jaden. I can't place my finger on it but he has a vital spirit that's hard to deny._ Yubel told Jaden.

_Gee thanks I couldn't tell Yubel. Are you gonna help me out or what, I'm in a tight spot here._ Jaden said. Yubel dropped her crossed arms. It took her a while to answer and Jaden didn't have all day.

_You there Yubel?_ Jaden asked.

…_just look at your hand._ Was all the monster spirit said before she faded into the depths of Jaden's soul. Jaden took her advice and glanced down at the card he just drew.

"Sweet! Here goes; first I'll summon Elemental Hero Avian in attack mode (Avian Lv3 1000atk)!" Jaden summoned his reliable winged hero as it took the field.

"Then I activate my spell card Miracle Fusion, fusing the Avian on my field and the Neos in my graveyard to create Elemental Hero Neos Knight!" Then a new Neos monster took the field after Avian had left; similar to Neos, Neos Knight appeared the same with the exception of the lance and shield it held as weapons. (Neos Knight: lv 7 2500 atk)

"I've never seen this monster before. It must be new, and I bet it could help Jaden out of this jam he's in." Alexis said to no one in particular as the small crowd oo'd and ahh'd.

"My Neos Knight gains half the attack of the other monster used in its fusion opposite of Neos. So half of Avian's attack means Neos Knight gains five hundred extra attack points." (Neos Knight: 2500 to 3000 attack points.)

"Now go, Neos Knight, attack that Gladiator Beast Laquari!" Jaden ordered as the newer Neos monster struck its lance through the beast's chest before it exploded into a million holographic pixels. Marc wasn't too happy to see his monster go and was curious as to why he didn't lose any life points.

"Oh by the way, although you don't take any battle damage from battles involving Neos Knight, he can hit you twice. Neos Knight attack his other monster." Neos Knight began his second strike as the face down Marc had had begun to rise.

"Not quite Jaden. I activate my trap card, Gladiator Beast War Chariot! What this does is, when a monster you control activates a special ability I can negate the ability and destroy the monster using it, just so long as I have a Gladiator Beast out on the field." Marc said as his trap card was revealed.

"No way!" Jaden's eyes widened in shock as a golden chariot appeared and rammed right through Neos Knight, stopping his attack and ultimately destroying the monster.

"Way. Goodbye Neos Knight, it was nice meeting ya!" Marc taunted as the dust settled. For once, Jaden didn't know had to react. He had no openings, no way to struggle this way through. Nothing in his hand could help him.

"…I end my turn…" Jaden said looking down at his feet. He was defeated and he knew it.

"Hmph." Marc grunted as he drew the top card from his deck. Something seemed to distract him however, and his attention was brought to Jaden's cheering section, Alexis.

"Hn." She froze as the glare Marc sent her way sent chills down her spine and reddened her cheeks. Marc looked down at his cards.

"This ends Jaden; I summon Test Tiger!" (Test Tiger: lv 3 600 atk 300 def) Marc summoned another monster that looked like a little tiger cub with red and blue fabrics and jewelry on it.

"And due to Test Tiger's effect, by sending it to the graveyard I can shuffle a Gladiator Beast I control back into my deck and bring out another one." Marc sacrificed his newly summoned monster and shuffled his Hoplomus back into the deck.

"Now I bring out Gladiator Beast Dimacari" Marc summoned another Gladiator Beast; this one was a minotaur looking creature with metallic silver armor claws on his hands. Jaden looked up and stared into the eyes of his opponent who kept his intense glare on the entire duel. (Dimacari: lv 4 1600atk)

"You know Jaden, I was honestly expecting more out of this duel; it's a shame really." Marc crossed his arms. Jaden growled before Marc went on with his turn.

"Go Dimacari, finish this! Use your special ability and hit him twice!" The armored bull rammed Jaden with its horns, reducing his life points to zero.

Jaden Yuki: 0 life points

Marcus Arrietti: 3000 life points

He wasn't actually hit but the shock of it all knocked Jaden off his feet and landed on the ground with his rear. Alexis walked over to help Jaden up.

Marc meanwhile shut off his duel disk and walked over to Alexis who had just helped her friend to his feet.

"You okay Jay?" She asked with concern. Jaden NEVER loses, but her consoling him would have to wait.

"Hey." She heard someone call out. Alexis spun around on her heels and found Marc standing in front of her.

"You have something that belongs to me, uh…" He started but stopped when he realized he didn't know her name.

"Alexis and I don't know what you're…" She snapped back but then it hit her.

"My card please…" Marc held his hand out, waiting for the card he dropped in the train station yesterday.

"B-but how did you…?" Alexis was surprised and a little creeped out at the same time.

"I have a bit of a sixth sense with my cards, now if you please." Marc explained before gesturing with his hand that he was still waiting.

"Oh, um…here." Alexis mumbled as she picked the card she found in the train station out of her pocket and handed it to its rightful owner.

"Hmph." Marc snatched the card from her hands and walked away.

"Tch, what a jerk." Alexis said under her breath as Jaden dusted himself off.

"Come on Lex, let's go." Jaden said, and he sounded rather annoyed to her as he walked off, handing the duel disk he borrowed back to the kid it belonged to.

"Jay, wait up!" Alexis called after him before she jogged towards him.

* * *

As they went one way, Marcus went another. He walked towards a black and silver speed bike, similar to Jaden's with minor differences in design. He was about to hop on and drive away but a ringing sound caught his attention. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a cell phone and answered.

"Hello?" He said, sitting down on the seat of his bike.

"Yeah, I dueled him just like you asked. To tell you the truth I don't think he's anything special. I don't get what you see in him." Marc said to the person on the other side of the line who simply chuckled.

"Trust me, don't worry about today. Jaden _is _the one I need; in time you'll see why I value him so highly Markie-boy." The other person said, making Marcus cringe when he called him Markie-boy. Marcus shook off that nickname to answer.

"All right whatever you say. Is there anything else you'd like me to do?" Marc asked, holding his bike helmet in his lap.

"Oh no you've done more than enough for me today. Why don't you relax a little and enjoy the town until the tournament starts, you'll need it." The man at the other end suggested but Marc shook his head.

"No thanks." He said before hanging up and motoring away on his bike.

_I have too much riding on this tournament to relax. I figure he would know that by now._ Marcus thought as he sped down the street in his bike.

* * *

"Okay Lex, here we are." Jaden said as the rumbling of the engine silenced as he pulled his bike up in front of the apartment building, but Alexis was a little slow to get up.

"You alright Lex?" He asked while Alexis took her helmet off with a little shake of her head to let her hair flow.

"Actually Jaden, no I'm not! You've been all quiet after that duel in the park." She said narrowing her gaze at Jaden as he pulled his helmet up and let it rest on top of his head.

"Well you got me." He said. He didn't even bother to try hiding how he was feeling.

"It's just one duel Jaden. If you acted like this every time something went wrong you wouldn't be half duelist you are now!" Alexis gave the former Slifer a piece of her mind.

_She's right Jaden._ He heard Yubel tell him in agreement with the former Obelisk.

"I know Alexis. I mean, I accept the fact that I lost the duel, but it's how I lost that's got me down ya know? It's like I never had a chance." Jaden explained, and he was right. That duel he had against Marcus was pretty one sided and Jaden didn't have any openings at all.

"Well you have to lighten up Jay; and besides, everyone has a bad day once in a while." Alexis did her best to cheer him up.

"Not as bad as that though and if he's competing in that tournament then there must be hoards of other duelists like him." Jaden went on. Alexis just couldn't leave him in such a bad mood. She stepped off the bike.

"Hey, Jay…?" She asked as she stood on the sidewalk, about to walk inside. Jaden turned to face her.

"What's up?" He asked back.

"Do you…wanna come upstairs?" She asked a little nervously, hoping her suggestion would make Jaden cheer up.

"Huh?" He said innocently tilting his head like some confused dog.

Just then Alexis realized the undertones her question had and her face became redder that Slifer the Sky Dragon himself. Frantically she shook her head and waved her hands.

"I-I-I mean, I'm- I mean that I'm sure Atticus is home and I'm sure he'd love to see you!" She said quickly, trying to say what she really meant. Luckily Jaden didn't make the bad connection and smiled slightly.

"Sure, let me just park this thing and I'll be right up." He said before Alexis nodded with a little smile of her own.

* * *

"Yeah I have a copy of the list right here, okay I'll see you later." Atticus said before he hung up the phone. After a long day at work, Atticus plopped on the couch for some much wanted quiet time.

"Lexi's still out…" He said as he stretched himself out on the couch. "Man, trying to organize this tournament is a nightmare. I was busy all day, but it's nice to come home and just relax." Atticus folded his arms behind his head.

Just as he was about to relax, Atticus heard the lock on his door click, followed by the door's slow creaking as it opened.

"Oh, Lexi you're back…" He said when he saw his sister walk through the door but he did a double take when he saw who came in behind her.

"Jaden? No way!" Atticus jumped up from the couch and put his arms out and swatting his sister out of the way in the process.

"Hey…!" Alexis clearly wasn't happy with her brother shoving her aside, she made a note to get back at him. She stood up when something caught her eye.

"What's up Atticus? Long time no see; Alexis tells me that you work for Kaiba Corp now." Jaden greeted his old classmate.

"Oh yeah, but I've been swamped lately…" The elder Rhodes sibling began until a thick manila envelope smacked him in the face.

Whack!

"Mind telling me what this is Atticus?" Alexis asked her brother. She told herself she'd get back at him. She held the envelope that was made out to her as Atticus rubbed his face where the envelope made contact.

"Sure, once you tell me how your date went?" Atticus smirked, and Alexis' face went beat red.

"It wasn't a date!" She snapped back. Jaden looked on with indifference. He's an only child so watching brother and sister bicker was a bit unusual to him.

"Oh yeah, then what was it then?" Atticus responded with another question. Alexis felt so embarrassed.

"I just gave her a look around the city is all." Jaden answered for her and Atticus' devious smirk faded away and the blush on Alexis' face with it. Did Jaden stand up for her? Well if he did or not, he got her out of that skirmish with Atticus.

"Hey do you know why Kaiba Land was closed today? I wanted to take Lex there but the place was locked up tight." Jade went on.

"Well the company is getting ready for the tournament and you know Kaiba land is a popular dueling spot so it's just getting some extra preparation." Atticus explained. Alexis held up the envelope again.

"So now can you tell me what this is?" She asked.

"Well open it and find out Lexi, it's _your_ mail." Atticus said. Looking down at the envelope, Alexis slowly began to open it, being careful not to make any rips or tears possibly damaging what's inside.

When Alexis opened the envelope a small piece of gold fell out which caught Jaden's eye and landed on the floor. Jaden went to pick whatever fell up.

"A DVD?" He heard Alexis say as she held a little packet with a disk in it. Jaden still had the fallen piece in his hand.

"Why don't you pop it in?" Atticus suggested. Alexis looked at him suspiciously; he knew what this package was, or at least Alexis thought so. She complied and inserted the disk into the dvd player underneath the television.

All three of the Duel Academy alumni took a spot on the couch in front of the tv; Atticus, Alexis and Jaden all sitting in that order waited as the disk began to play.

As the dvd started the logos for Kaiba Corp and Industrial Illusions appeared on the screen followed by a new logo for the Crown Championship. Alexis and Jaden's eyes widened.

"Atticus what is this?" Alexis asked her brother without taking her eyes off the screen, like Jaden who was getting pretty excited.

"Greetings Alexis Rhodes…" The three heard before the image of the creator of Duel Monsters himself popped up on the screen. Alexis gasped, holding her hand over her mouth.

"Congratulations Alexis, you've just been invited to the Crown Championship!" they heard Pegasus say on the tv.

"No way…!" Alexis gasped again. Her thoughts were confirmed while Atticus smirked next to her.

"Now then Miss Rhodes, if you look in the package this video you're watching came in, you'll find the Kaiba Corp Duel Disk update code as well as your Crown Piece." They heard Pegasus say. Alexis pulled whatever was in the envelope out; the code for the software update was there but she couldn't find the Crown Piece.

"Here…" Jaden held out his hand, averting Alexis' attention away from the envelope. Holding the little golden fragment in his hand, Jaden said "You dropped it, but I think you're gonna need this." Jaden smiled dropping the piece in her hand.

She looked back at him and smiled before looking at the Crown Piece in her hand.

"Guys keep watching." Atticus said. They returned their attention to the television to hear Pegasus out further.

"If you have seen the tournament announcement, then you know the tournament is right around the corner. However there are still some things you need to know Alexis." Pegasus said again. The fact that this invitation was personalized and that Pegasus was referring to Alexis by name made the whole process very personal.

"For starters, when the tournament starts you will be assigned to start in a certain area of the city along with other duelists who share the same Crown Piece as you. This is meant to motivate duelists to roam the city, dueling in every possible area and to avoid clutter." Pegasus began to elaborate on the rules of the tournament as Alexis and Jaden listened closely.

"When you do duel please keep in mind the following rules: duels will all have players begin with 4000 life points as usual, and the first one to hit zero loses, just as usual. Actually, the rules for the duels are all the same as they were at Duel Academy, so you should be very familiar with how they go Alexis." Pegasus said.

"Oh all right, so the duels are just like they've always been; I thought there were gonna be special rules like at Duelist Kingdom." Jaden said as he watched the screen.

"As for your competition, there will be a great variety as we've invited duelists from all over to participate. Pro Duelist League all-stars, tournament winners, select amateurs and even Academy standouts just as yourself have all been invited to duel." Said the tooney Duel Monsters creator.

"Pro duelists; do you think guys like Chazz and Aster Phoenix were invited?" Alexis asked no one in particular.

"I hope so; it'd be great to see those guys again. But then again you could run into guys like Marcus…" Jaden said in compliance to her statement.

"Who's Marcus?" Atticus asked but the other two looked kept their gaze on the screen.

"It's a long story." Alexis and Jaden said at the same time.

"That's all I have to say! It's up to you Miss Rhodes; you've been given the chance to compete for the title of world duel monsters champion, don't let it pass." Pegasus said before the video ended. Atticus went to eject the disk out of the TV.

"Well Lexi, are you in or what?" He asked his sister who looked down at the Crown Piece in her hand. She clenched her hand and stood up from her seat.

"I'm in!" She declared. Alexis had a great opportunity in front of her, and she'd be damned if she didn't take it.

"All right Lex that's great! I just hope I get invi…" Jaden was in the middle of congratulating her when his watch began beeping.

"Huh? Oh man…!" Jaden whined.

"What's up Jay?" Atticus asked the former Slifer who scratched the back of his head.

"I gotta go meet up with my parents. They've been all clingy since I came back." He laughed as he got ready to leave. "Well today was certainly interesting." He said as he grabbed his helmet and made way for the door.

"Wait Jaden…!" Alexis called out, stopping Jaden in his tracks. "Here." She said handing the helmet she borrowed from him back.

"Oh thanks! I'll see ya guys around, and Lex…" Jaden said with one foot out the door. Alexis leaned in a little.

"Good luck in the tournament." Jaden said with a little smirk as Alexis smiled back before the prior turned to leave. Alexis closed the door and sat herself back down on the couch.

"You two _so_ had a date." Atticus said from the opposite side of the couch, arms crossed and a devlish smirk on his face.

"Argh, shut up!" Alexis shouted as she leaped towards him with anger plastered on his face as the siblings entered round two of their daily squabble.

* * *

okay chapter 2 done!

tell me what you think, but be warned i'm gonna take a little break from this story as i want to work on a few others i have going on.

but please lave feedback, i just love it when you do that! lol


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